University of North Carolina Athletics
Five With Fedora - Oct. 23
October 23, 2017 | Football
By Jeff Greenberg, GoHeels.com
1. One thing you've mentioned regarding the injuries this season is the opportunity it has given some younger guys to get on the field and get a ton of playing experience. What does that mean for the future in your eyes?
"I think, in the midst of the adversity we're facing, it speaks well for our future. I know I've always said that every rep a guy gets in practice or in games is huge to their development. But game reps are something that you just can't replicate in practice. This type of experience that the younger guys are getting can't be recreated in spring practice. These guys are getting the types of reps that will help them develop even faster than we had anticipated. They're going to do good things on the field that they may not have done in practice. Is it always going to look good? No, but that's part of the growth process in developing these guys. It's like I've said time and time again, there will be good things that come out of what we're going through right now. And when I see some of these guys out there learning and making plays, that's what gives me confidence in our future."
2. Who were some of those guys that stood out on film?
"There were definitely guys that showed flashes in this game. And there have been guys the last couple of weeks stepping up time and time again. Guys like Michael Carter, Dazz Newsome, Jordon Brown, Myles Dorn and more have all shown the potential to do great things this season and in the future. Now, I'll be honest with you, there wasn't a whole lot of positive things from this game on this week's film. But my respect for these guys comes in knowing they would tell you the same thing after they watched the film. I think some of them would have told you that before watching the film. We are honest with these guys from the moment they walk in the building, and they are honest with each other. They are accountable with each other. When you have that accountability then you have a chance to grow from this. You have a chance to get better. That goes for players and coaches. We all have to be accountable to each other in order to get better. I can name a few different guys each week that have stepped up when called, and this week was no different."
3. The quarterbacks had a tough day, albeit, under some tough circumstances. What will your conversations with them sound like and focus on during this upcoming week?
"It will be the same conversation we've had with quarterbacks going back as far as I can remember. We're teaching every day. Fundamentals and base skill sets. We're talking feet and eyes and whether or not they're where they need to be as we watch film from the game and film from practices this week. It's all about developing them into a great quarterback. Will there be some truth that tastes bad? Sure. But every great quarterback goes through that at some time in their development. In this game I wouldn't say that they played well, but I also wouldn't say they played poorly. Understand this, by no means was that all on them. It was a combination of things they were facing where they needed some more help from their teammates around them to be more successful. Their teammates at different positions need to do better in their roles as well before I would hold these quarterbacks accountable for everything that happened out on the field."
4. You mentioned what you said the message to the team was at halftime. What did the message then sound like after the game or on Sunday when you met with the team?
"It's more about reemphasizing to them that I believe in them and I believe in what we do here. I believe in our philosophies in all phases of the game. If I didn't then I would have already changed it. Guys in this program have proven to me that what we believe in can work. We're going to continue to work hard and fight our way out of this. I told them I needed them to do what they've been able to do every week this season. That's coming to practice ready to work hard and do so with great energy and a great attitude. I told them that it's the only way we can turn the corner. There's no turning back on that part of it all. We all know the amount of adversity staring us in the face. But we're not going to run from that or try and beat it on our own. We have to do that together. That's what these guys are doing. Working for each other. Working together."
5. What do you want every UNC fan to know and understand about the players on this team?
"I would tell fans that this group of guys is as close as they were back in January and even before then. There isn't any finger pointing when times are tough, and times are tough right now. They pull for each other, they pick each other up and they play for each other. Their attitudes, like I said before, are such that they are able to maintain that unity. They're working their tails off when faced with something that's just not easy to do. A normal person facing the adversity we've faced may have just thrown in the towel. Not these guys. I would tell the fans I'm proud of these guys and they can be proud of them as well. The seniors are leading the way, which is extremely difficult right now because this is it for them. They don't get many more chances or another season to play. They have four more games in their career as a Tar Heel and each and every one of them wants to make the most of it. What is their legacy going to be? Will it be strictly about wins and losses? Or will it be about how they handled this situation and how their leadership kept this team together? That's what I will remember about them and they've earned my complete respect and pride in that legacy."
1. One thing you've mentioned regarding the injuries this season is the opportunity it has given some younger guys to get on the field and get a ton of playing experience. What does that mean for the future in your eyes?
"I think, in the midst of the adversity we're facing, it speaks well for our future. I know I've always said that every rep a guy gets in practice or in games is huge to their development. But game reps are something that you just can't replicate in practice. This type of experience that the younger guys are getting can't be recreated in spring practice. These guys are getting the types of reps that will help them develop even faster than we had anticipated. They're going to do good things on the field that they may not have done in practice. Is it always going to look good? No, but that's part of the growth process in developing these guys. It's like I've said time and time again, there will be good things that come out of what we're going through right now. And when I see some of these guys out there learning and making plays, that's what gives me confidence in our future."
2. Who were some of those guys that stood out on film?
"There were definitely guys that showed flashes in this game. And there have been guys the last couple of weeks stepping up time and time again. Guys like Michael Carter, Dazz Newsome, Jordon Brown, Myles Dorn and more have all shown the potential to do great things this season and in the future. Now, I'll be honest with you, there wasn't a whole lot of positive things from this game on this week's film. But my respect for these guys comes in knowing they would tell you the same thing after they watched the film. I think some of them would have told you that before watching the film. We are honest with these guys from the moment they walk in the building, and they are honest with each other. They are accountable with each other. When you have that accountability then you have a chance to grow from this. You have a chance to get better. That goes for players and coaches. We all have to be accountable to each other in order to get better. I can name a few different guys each week that have stepped up when called, and this week was no different."
3. The quarterbacks had a tough day, albeit, under some tough circumstances. What will your conversations with them sound like and focus on during this upcoming week?
"It will be the same conversation we've had with quarterbacks going back as far as I can remember. We're teaching every day. Fundamentals and base skill sets. We're talking feet and eyes and whether or not they're where they need to be as we watch film from the game and film from practices this week. It's all about developing them into a great quarterback. Will there be some truth that tastes bad? Sure. But every great quarterback goes through that at some time in their development. In this game I wouldn't say that they played well, but I also wouldn't say they played poorly. Understand this, by no means was that all on them. It was a combination of things they were facing where they needed some more help from their teammates around them to be more successful. Their teammates at different positions need to do better in their roles as well before I would hold these quarterbacks accountable for everything that happened out on the field."
4. You mentioned what you said the message to the team was at halftime. What did the message then sound like after the game or on Sunday when you met with the team?
"It's more about reemphasizing to them that I believe in them and I believe in what we do here. I believe in our philosophies in all phases of the game. If I didn't then I would have already changed it. Guys in this program have proven to me that what we believe in can work. We're going to continue to work hard and fight our way out of this. I told them I needed them to do what they've been able to do every week this season. That's coming to practice ready to work hard and do so with great energy and a great attitude. I told them that it's the only way we can turn the corner. There's no turning back on that part of it all. We all know the amount of adversity staring us in the face. But we're not going to run from that or try and beat it on our own. We have to do that together. That's what these guys are doing. Working for each other. Working together."
5. What do you want every UNC fan to know and understand about the players on this team?
"I would tell fans that this group of guys is as close as they were back in January and even before then. There isn't any finger pointing when times are tough, and times are tough right now. They pull for each other, they pick each other up and they play for each other. Their attitudes, like I said before, are such that they are able to maintain that unity. They're working their tails off when faced with something that's just not easy to do. A normal person facing the adversity we've faced may have just thrown in the towel. Not these guys. I would tell the fans I'm proud of these guys and they can be proud of them as well. The seniors are leading the way, which is extremely difficult right now because this is it for them. They don't get many more chances or another season to play. They have four more games in their career as a Tar Heel and each and every one of them wants to make the most of it. What is their legacy going to be? Will it be strictly about wins and losses? Or will it be about how they handled this situation and how their leadership kept this team together? That's what I will remember about them and they've earned my complete respect and pride in that legacy."
Players Mentioned
Tailback
/ Football
Tailback
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Wide Receiver
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